JOB DESCRIPTION
POSITION TITLEDirector of Engagement and Alumni & Parent Relations
REPORTS TO:Vice President for Advancement
PRIMARY FUNCTION:
The Director of Engagement and Alumni & Parent Relations manages the Engagement and Alumni & Parent Relations team that builds and nurtures strong relationships between St. Olaf College and its alumni and parents which result in life-long engagement with and support of the College. The director is responsible for increasing the engagement of the St. Olaf constituency and reporting on progress through the development of strategic engagement metrics.
AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:
1)Serving on the Vice President’s divisional leadership team
2)Provide visionary leadership to the team by
a)Creating a strategic vision for the work of this department; marshaling resources to reach these goals that support the strategic plan and mission of St. Olaf College.
b)Developing and sustaining programs and activities that best serve the College and effectively meet the changing needs of St. Olaf College alumni and parents.
c)Being familiar with and implement as appropriate best practices in alumni and parent relations work.
3)Serve as the “chief engagement officer” of the College, identify opportunities and build strategic partnerships,both within the campus community and with constituents beyond the campus by:
a)Identifying , cultivating and promoting specific alumni and parents who can be helpful to the college as donors and/or volunteers.
b)Partnering with other staff in the advancement division in working toward achieving its alumni participation goals in annual giving.
c)Leading institutional engagement efforts and collaboration with various other departments of the college, both within and outside of the Advancement Division.
4)Working with the Vice President for Advancement, to developcomprehensive engagement strategy and to create metrics and maintain a tracking process for constituency engagement by:
a)Developing engagement strategy and long-term and annual goals.
b)Developing metrics for aggregate constituency engagement and for individual alumni and parent engagement.
c)In conjunction with Advancement Services, coordinating the collection and compiling of constituency engagement data from Advancement and the appropriate departments across campus.
d)Analyzing and reporting on College’s engagement efforts.
5)Leading, supervising and developing staff
a)Mentoring and supervising staff to develop individual potential, high motivation, and superior teamwork.
b)Recruiting, hiring and evaluating staff.
6)Overseeing the identification, planning and execution of events on and off campus that stimulate and engage alumni and parents. These include club events, class reunions, and service projects.
7)Managing and guiding activities for the Alumni Board of Directors and coordinating the involvement of the Board with the college
8)Effectively managing projects and resources
a)Directing improvement of programs, office systems, and procedures needed for accomplishing projects and tasks.
b)Developing and effectively stewarding department budgets.
9. Being visible and engaged by
a)Traveling widely for major alumni and parent events.
b)Attending alumni and parent events on campus as well as other campus events.
10.Communicating effectively both on and off campus
a)Overseeing the messages and content of the alumni and parents portion of the St. Olaf magazine and other publications.
b)Continuing to use of electronic communication most effectively.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:Supervises five staff members
- CONTACTS:Works with faculty, administrators, staff and students. Is in regular contact with alumni, parents, and other external constituents.
EDUCATION: Essential:Baccalaureate degree
Desirable:Master’s degree
EXPERIENCE:Essential:7-10 years of leadership/management experience that includes project or event management and staff supervision volunteer management experience.
Desirable:Experience in anacademic setting preferred.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES:
- Possess a strong commitment to St. Olaf’s mission and to the importance of St. Olaf’s relationships with its constituencies. Knowledge of St. Olaf is an asset.
- Be a strategic thinker who is creative and willing to think beyond traditional boundaries
- Must collaborate with other directors and key staff and faculty in order to coordinate a comprehensive college engagement strategy.
- Have a successful track record of effective leadership and supervisory experience in either a higher education setting or in business, preferably marketing or customer relations. Possess strong team management skills in working with diverse personalities and interests, strong time management and organizational abilities, and demonstrated ability to delegate responsibilities to others.
- Have strong written, oral and interpersonal communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with alumni, faculty senior administrators and staff at all levels with demonstrated successes in motivating staff and volunteers.
- Established success in leading and managing volunteers in a peer solicitation and relationship building effort, creating successful giving programs and effectively leading teams.
- Must be able to maintain high level of confidentiality regarding sensitive materials and information.
- Conversant in related new technology trends, background in leveraging web communication a plus.
- Must be energetic and self-motivated, and work with minimal supervision.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:Stamina for extended days for specials events and travel.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT:Office environment, with some events at off-campus locations. An average three to five times per month expect evening work or overnight travel.
WORK SCHEDULE:Full time – 1.0 FTE
APPROVAL: Enoch Blazis
DATE:January 2013